The Monaco Grand Prix was an emotional rollercoaster of a day for Prince Albert of Monaco.
When Charles Leclerc won the title on home soil yesterday, making him the first Monegasque to win the Circuit de Monaco in Monte Carlo since the inception of the Formula 1 championship in the 1950s, he was not the only emotional one.
Prince Albert, 66, also had tears in his eyes as he hugged the 26-year-old after scoring the biggest win of his career to date.
The royal family were among the first to congratulate the F1 winner as he stepped out of his car and Albert left the formalities behind to give Charles a warm hug.
Moments later, Albert opened an extra-large bottle of champagne and drank it straight from the bottle as Princess Charlene cheered him on.
Prince Albert of Monaco looked teary-eyed as he congratulated Charles Leclerc on his Formula 1 victory on Sunday
Charles was scheduled to meet at Grimaldi Palace the night before the race for a post-race dinner with Prince Albert and his royal family – a tradition in Monaco.
The next day, Albert, along with Charlene and their twins, Princess Gabriella, and Prince Jacques, both nine, traveled to the Circuit de Monaco to watch the live action.
And when Charles claimed the title for his country, Prince Albert couldn’t help but become emotional.
The 26-year-old driver later accompanied the royal family to the balcony, where he and Albert sprayed bottles of champagne before drinking the bubbly straight from the bottle.
Meanwhile, former Olympic swimmer Charlene was the epitome of fashion in a sleek black jacket with gold embellishments and long white trousers.
While her husband, 66, looked sharp and elegant in a blue suit jacket and gray trousers.
Their nine-year-old children wore trendy matching leather jackets in pink and black, while Princess Charlene spoke motherly to the duo while holding Gabriella’s arm.
The couple have been spotted on a series of recent public outings, including a trip to Hamburg for the opening of ‘Monaco World’, a miniature wonderland exhibition.
Princess Charlene cheered her husband on as he opened a bottle of champagne in celebration
Moments later, the 66-year-old royal drank some champagne straight from the extra-large bottle
Albert skipped the formalities and hugged Charles Leclerc after victory on home turf on Sunday
Prince Albert also made a surprise visit last week to a small Cheshire village known as the home of millionaires and footballers.
He shocked customers when he was spotted having lunch at famous hotspot San Carlo, a restaurant in Alderley Edge.
It is not known why the Prince visited the area, known as the home of ‘Manchester royalty’.
The son of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III was apparently dining at the Italian restaurant without his wife Princess Charlene or their children, Gabriella and Jacques.
Albert and Charlene were also pictured taking their children to the Monte Carlo Tennis Masters tournament on April 14.
Albert and Charlene watched the live action with their twins, Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques, both nine
The former Olympic swimmer cuts a chic figure in a smart black jacket and trendy off-white cargo pants
The sporty couple, who both represented their countries at the Olympics, also put on a joint show and even coordinated their outfits.
It’s not the first time the couple has attended the tournament; last year the proud parents were joined by both twins.
Their appearance at the match came after reports said Prince Rainier III of Monaco began drawing up plans to remove his son Prince Albert from the line of succession in favor of Princess Caroline before his death.
The former prime minister of Monaco, who died in 2005 at the age of 81, sought legal advice in the late 1990s on how the line of succession would continue if the heir apparent, Prince Albert, were passed over in favor of his older sister, Princess Caroline.